Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell's statement
on ruling by U.S. District Judge Robart

SEATTLE - The Monitoring Plan for the first year was submitted by the federal monitor, Merrick Bobb, on March 5 and the Department of Justice filed its "Notice of Approval of the Monitoring Plan for the First Year" with the U.S. District Court on March 6. This afternoon, U.S. District Judge James Robart approved the Monitoring Plan.

Today, Councilmember Bruce Harrell, Chair of the Council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee, released the following statement regarding the ruling by U.S. District Judge James Robart on the Monitoring Plan:

"This marks another significant step in moving forward together to implement the necessary long-lasting positive changes in the Police Department. As we have witnessed in the last few weeks, the Settlement Agreement process is complex. In speaking with the dedicated and hard-working police officers at the Seattle Police Department, I have no doubt we are moving in a positive direction to improve public trust and providing the highest level of service in a constitutional manner. The Monitoring Plan is a roadmap that sets clear metrics on achieving this outcome. As we move forward, we will hit speed bumps and at those times, we must all remind ourselves to put the City first in order to improve public trust and avoid any delays in implementation of the plan. The key will be openness, transparency, and collaboration."

On Wednesday, March 13, at 5:30 pm, the Public Safety Committee will take action on the appointments to the Community Police Commission. The Community Police Commission will be presented to the public and the meeting will start with a public hearing. The Community Police Commission is a critical element of the Settlement Agreement to impartially review and make recommendations on policies related to use of force and biased policing.